Ringer finger length has been “associated” with amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS or “Lou Gehrig’s disease”), claimed British researchers in the May 9 online edition of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
But before you started looking at your fingers with too much concern, be aware that there seems to be no particularly sound biologic reason for looking at ring finger length in the context of ALS. Accordingly, one could collect any 100 people, measure their body parts and report a host of correlations between body part size/type and any disease. But correlation does not equal causation — that’s basic junk science judo.
(h/t Mitchell in Houston)
I am not a mathematician (I used to be one). I no longer delve into probability and statistics. I have not done any of the above for about thirty years. But, I can still find a correlation of any disease or impediment to any physical feature that someone wishes to measure. It isn’t science. It is BS. Nevertheless, if anyone needs help in this arena (for a fee), please contact me –or maybe not.
Phrenology, anyone?
It was caused by CAGW